Tredici Dreizehn
by flippednique
Summary: Gilbert has popped the question, he has, really. Twelve times to be exact. Each time he got the same answer. "I need more time."
1. Chapter 1

"_Vaffanculo! Vaffanculo tu e il tuo cazzo sicuramente non eccezionale uccello!"_ Lovino childishly stomped his way up the stairs and into their bedroom. He proceeded to kick his shoes off and relieve himself of his cufflinks all the while trying to ignore the albino man that had followed him in his wake.

Gilbert let his Italian get away with most things, most of the time. But if there was one thing that he couldn't stand for it was when insults were thrown about his baby. He rose to defend the small canary perched on his head glaring heavily at his boyfriend. "Leave Gilbird out of this_ arschloch!"_

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" Lovino chanted and managed to remove one cuff-link and with a snap of his wrist sent it towards his dresser, nearly hitting the large ornate mirror resting on top. He let out a frustrated huff when the other cuff-link wouldn't remove as easily and he blamed the German for it. "_Dio_ I can't stand you right now! Go away!"

_"Was?"_ Gilbert stopped trying to pacify Gilbird whose feathers were insanely ruffled.

Lovino kept his eyes away from Gilbert and answered with a rather clipped, "Leave."

"You can't be serious." Gilbert deadpanned.

"I mean it Gilbert." Lovino stressed.

"Vyes," Gilbert deposited the huffing canary onto a bed post and walked forwards, urging the Italian into his open arms. He felt the stiffness in Lovino's body leave for a moment before it returned full force and the brunette walked away from him and back to the dresser. Gilbert breathed deeply. "What the hell happened in that room?"

"It's none of your fucking business!" Lovino shouted testily.

Gilbert felt his patience wearing thin. There was a reason Antonio chose up psychiatry, Francis had his own clothes brand, and Gilbert was a retired man from the German army with a rank of _Gefreiter_ no less. He wasn't cut out for any of this feelings shit. But for Lovino he'd try, he would always try, and the brat better damn well appreciate it. "If it's making you kick me out of our house then it very well is my damned business."

"Go to hell bastard! It's not like we're married or anything!"

_"Mein Gott,_" Gilbert closed his eyes. "Were they on you about that again?"

"It still isn't any of your business but yes." Lovino's voice sounded so young to him at that moment. The Italian was two years younger than him but he'd always kept up with Gilbert he didn't usually see it. It was only at these times were Lovino was haunted by what his family had to say that showed his youth.

"Vyes…" Gilbert tried.

"They were going on and on and on about how happy they were celebrating Feliciano's third wedding anniversary. It's not my fault that the _idiota_ married your brother when he was eighteen! I had other things on my mind than getting shackled to some _stronzo! _I prioritized important things!"

"Of course you did. You always do. _Haben sie über mich wieder meckern?_"

"They did, but it was mostly me than you." Lovino huffed angrily. "They're very old people though and they believe in our faith. It's bad enough that both their grandsons are after men but one of them refuses to marry. They say they're tired of waiting. That if I wanted to stay in the family then I should get married instead of wasting my life away like this. Wasting my life tch, they make me feel so fucking miserable!"

"And whose fault is that?" It had slipped out. Shit. Gilbert inwardly berated himself for letting that slip out.

Lovino's eyebrow rose and he stared straight at Gilbert through the mirror. _"Mi scusi?"_

The German shrugged his broad shoulders and leaned one of them against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest. "I'm just saying that it's not for the lack of trying.. on my part."

"Am I gonna get the point any time soon?"

"Vyes I've proposed like twelve times."

_"B-Bastardo!"_ Lovino's face turned a bright scarlet and he glared at Gilbert with such ferocity and what seemed to be shame that the albino completely regretted not dropping the subject. "Is it too much to ask for more time?"

"It hurts a man's pride Vyes." Gilbert muttered grudgingly. Why was he not shutting up again? "Is a life married to me so bad? You'd think the devil himself was proposing to you. _Es tut weh."_

Lovino's breath caught and he stared hard at the floor. "_So."_

"If you do, then why do you keep doing it?" Gilbert barked. "Is it so hard to say yes? Is it? Is it really Lovino?"

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" Lovino cried and he turned to his dresser, throwing the doors open and throwing clothes onto the bed.

Gilbert said nothing, as this had happened before and he'd just do what he did last time. Francis shouldn't be too occupied with Arthur and French breakfast was amazing after a crappy night. Wait a minute…

"What are you doing?" Gilbert rushed forward as he noticed that all the clothes on the bed weren't his.

"Packing."

They were Lovino's.

* * *

"_Vee fratello, maybe you should just tell him why you keep pushing it off. Then he'll understand at least and not doubt how you feel about him." _

Lovino resisted the very strong urge to throw his phone out the window (not his Iphone, no, no) and tried to take deep breaths as he switched lanes. What was he being so careful about? There wouldn't be anyone driving at two in the morning. Because that was what time it was. Two in the fricking morning. Two fifteen in the fricking morning if you wanted to be precise. He had left Gilbert, with much struggle, but in the end he'd gotten away.

"He knows how I feel about him that idiot. I just don't know if he knows how he feels about me." Lovino took an even deeper breath. He could feel the tell-tale prickling feeling but damn it he was not gonna cry. _Dio_ help him he was _not _going to cry. Damn it.

Feliciano's voice whined through the phone's speakers, and his face dominated the screen. 3G was both a gift and a curse. "_Lovi he's proposed twelve times!" _

"_Idiota! _I know that! Why does everyone think I don't know that? Why does everyone remind me all the fucking time?! I'm the one he'd proposed that many times to so believe me I _know._" Lovino swerved his car back into his lane not sure when he'd started swerving in the first place and glared at his brother for a second before turning his eyes back to the road.

_"Why do you keep saying no then?" _Feliciano asked, his eyebrows pulled together. "_I said yes to Ludwig in a heartbeat. I know that Ludwig and Gilbert are only half brothers but I think they're both the same when it comes to expressing their feelings." _

"Pretty bad?" Lovino smirked.

"_Si!" _Feliciano exhaled. "_It takes him hours to get me to understand when he wants to tell me he's happy or he's lonely or he's sad! They need time." _

"So do I." Lovino sighed and leaned against his chair heavily, one hand on the wheel. He tried to remember how Gilbert said the Iphone could clip onto it's little car stand. He shouldn't have paid the German's sweaty from his recent workout's arms so much attention. Damn it.

"_I guess everyone does." _Feliciano hummed then yawned. "_Are you close fratello?"  
_

"Nearly there." Lovino bit his lip and managed to clip his phone onto the stand. Very carefully he moved it around so that it faced him. "You can go to sleep Feliciano, just keep the spare key underneath the mat."

"_Ciancia, I shall wait for you!" _Feliciano insisted and smiled at him from the phone screen. "_I even made pasta to cheer you up. It'll be ready when you get here." _

Lovino's heart swelled ten times its size. "_Grazie fratello_. Is Alaric asleep?"

Feliciano let out a small laugh. "_No. He's right here! Alaric! Tu sei zio vuole parlare con te." _

Lovino waited patiently as the phone was passed and he grinned dazedly as he gazed at his three year old nephew, wide eyes set on the screen in front of him. "_Onkel Lovi?" _

There was a downside to having parents with different nationalities. It was a miracle that Alaric understood Italian (Lovino was going to fight tooth and nail to make sure of that) even with a German name. It suited him though with his pretty blue eyes and already darkening blonde hair.

"Hello _piccolo tesoro, _shouldn't you be sleeping?" Lovino cooed right back. He was feeling a lot better now. The mere thought of his nephew and all the things they could do when he was over at Feliciano's lifted his spirits in ways he couldn't describe. Children were Lovino's weak points. A secret that he would take to the grave.

Even with the downside that the potato bastard was there at Feliciano's... it was a necessary evil. Besides Ludwig wasn't really that... bad... oh wow that sent shivers up his spine.

"_Papà let me stay up."_ Alaric had adapted both Italian and German pronunciation and it was a blessing that his English was all right (Thank you Alfred!). One slightly chubby fist bumped against a small chest. "Is it hurting?"

Lovino chuckled weakly. "No, I'm okay."

_"Papà says it's okay to not be okay, okay?_" Alaric stared at him so intensely that Lovino broke under it and chuckled some more.

"Yes, okay." Lovino took a deep breath and drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. "I'm not... really okay."

Alaric beamed. _"Okay. Papà made pasta." _

"He told me so." Lovino hummed. "Where's your dad?"

"_Vater is sleeping. He has an important class tomrow." _

"It's tomorrow." Lovino corrected kindly.

"_That's what I said._" Alaric grinned.

"Cheeky." Lovino noted and smirking into the camera, eyes fixed on his nephew. He glanced up at the road, no one was out driving and it was incredibly silent. What he wouldn't give for some bird chirps right now... No. No. Just... Lovino took in deep breaths and gripped the steering wheel tightly.

Feliciano had a point. Maybe... maybe he should just tell Gilbert already. The potato bastard had a point too. He deserved to know why Lovino kept pushing him away.

_"It hurts..." _

Lovino's knuckles turned white, his eyes getting blurry with tears. He stepped on the gas pedal in an effort to get to his brother's house faster.

Then he realized he wasn't the only one on the road.

"_Cazzo!" _

* * *

"This has never happened before." Francis noted as he tipped his glass around. He watched delighted as the red liquid sloshed steadily before taking a sip and letting out a sigh. "I am not complaining but still..."

"I get what you mean." Antonio relaxed against the lazy boy (something Lovi had bought and taken to the house himself for Antonio's visits) and tucked into his orange juice. He did not want to face his patients drunk in the morning. Especially not Felix. Just. No. _Dios_ knew what the blonde man would do to him when he was at his weakest. "It seems so very..."

"Quiet?" Gilbert interjected with a snort into his beer. He was slumped on a bar stool, elbows propped up on the marble counter. "No one screaming at us to get off of the counter he makes food on? No one barging in to make sure we aren't watching porn?"

"_Si._" Antonio murmured. He looked at Francis for a second then stared back at Gilbert. "Where's Lovi?"

"Yes, where is the feisty Italian?" Francis' eyebrows danced lewdly (if such a thing was possible) and a smirk lit up his face. "I have yet to see neither hide nor hair of the brat."

"He's not a brat." Antonio whined. "Lovi just finds it hard to express himself! Much like your _marido_."

"Oh how I wish." Francis sighed gustily. "How I wish Angleterre would be my husband."

"He's not a country Francis." Antonio frowned but turned back to Gilbert. "Where did you say Lovi was?"

_"Ich weiß nicht," _Gilbert chuckled mirthlessly.

"You sound stressed." Francis pursed his lips. "Has your Italian been withholding sex?"

"Fuck no." Gilbert burst out laughing. "He has to actually be here to withhold sex right? I mean, how can you say no to sex when you aren't even fucking here! Technically when you think about it, I guess he is kinda stopping us from having sex because I'm awesome at being loyal. Fuck I am the _most awesome_ at being loyal and patient and loving. I can't say it to his face yet, like the three words and that Scheiße but he knows... he _should _know that I feel that way. Right? I mean... right?"

"Okay..." Antonio made an attempt to grab Gilbert's glass of beer. "You're drunk Gilbert."

"Give that back!" Gilbert whined when Antonio actually succeeded. "And what are you talking about? I am too awesome to get drunk! I'm German!"

"Oh my." Francis abandoned his wine glass in favor of resting his hand on Gilbert's thigh. A quick glance at Antonio showed that they were having similar thoughts. German... Non... it was never German. Gilbert was always _Prussian. _"Is everything all right _c__héri?_"

"Hmm?" Gilbert looked up at Francis with glazed and blood shot eyes. Had he been...? "Course everything's all right. Why wouldn't it be? I mean, I'm just wondering where my boyfriend's gone at two in the fucking morning because he just found it fit to literally pack up and get while we were in the middle of an argument. Nothing unusual right?"

"Argument?" Antonio straightened.

"Uh huh." Gilbert nodded like a demented chicken. "I don't even know what we were fighting about! I mean, he came home from the usual family dinner and he got bitched at again so he let it out on me which is... usual I mean... it's the usual. Nothing different."

"But then?" Francis prompted.

Gilbert was quiet then, staring at the yellow colored walls of the kitchen that he and Lovino had painted themselves. The first time... it had been in this house, in this room, and Lovino had been sitting on the floor with his legs crossed underneath him and a bottle of pepsi in his hand. Gilbert let out a sound that could have been a sob or a laugh or perhaps soemthing in between. "I tried again. At least I think I did. What I got was more than the usual no."

"Oh Gilbert." Antonio breathed. He was sympathetic, and yes his thoughts were more on Lovi but his best friend needed him now too.

"Twelve times." Gilbert deadpanned. "You'd think a man would learn _ja_? Not me though. I just keep asking again and again and again then I end up getting hurt when he says no again and again and again. And he doesn't even tell me why he says no. Makes sense though right? Cause if I'm not good enough to say yes to then I'm most certainly not good enough to be told where he is, right? Right? Right? _Gott._"

"Come now Gilbert." Francis said. "You have to tell us more than that. We are not mind readers."

"Except maybe Arturo." Antonio took a sip of his juice and his eyes lit up. "Do you think he'd come here and read Gilbert's mind for us?"

"Antoine, Angleterre wouldn't touch you with a ten foot pole much less be in the same room with you with Gilbert and myself." Francis mournfully informed his friend. "Sadly, he can only handle so much of the BTT in one sitting. And if I have anything to say about it, he will only have to choose between me, myself, and I."

"Possessive." Antonio's nose wrinkled. "Not like I want him here any way. He'd probably poison my drink or something. _Hombre _hates me."

"And whose fault is that?" Francis drawled.

Antonio's shoulders stiffened. "Oy! He brought up the Armada!"

"Which doesn't even make sense since neither of you were alive back then." Francis muttered, enjoying the way Antonio's face turned red and his green eyes blazed with fire. It was sometimes shocking how he and Arthur looked so alike.

"And that's the thing isn't it?" Gilbert's voice interjected their nonsensical argument. "Nothing makes sense. Not a single fucking thing. Usually things are easy to understand since I'm just awesome that way but when it comes to Lovino he... Gott, he keeps me guessing. I try to understand, I seriously do but I just can't. I think I get somewhere with him and after looking closely I've only been pushed two steps back."

"_Amigo_..." Antonio licked his lips. "It's Lovino... you know how he is."

"Of course I do." Gilbert snapped. "Gott knows I do."

"Be kind and rewind." Francis pleaded. "You must tell us what happened before we pass judgement. Well, not Antoine, we all know he'll pick Lovi's side."

"I am not biased." Antonio frowned.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night."

"Francis!"

And that made him feel a little better. French and Spanish were thrown left and right, as if any of them understood the other's mother tongues. But it made him feel better. It was just like old times. Granted... it wasn't like how he would feel if someone just came back home already but...

He'd take what he could get.

"Gilbert, you're pants are ringing."

Francis chuckled lightly at Antonio's flippant observation and retrieved his abandoned wine glass, his argument with the Spaniard long forgotten and gone. Gilbert smirked but plucked his phone (the one responsible for the vibrating) and flipped it open and answered the call.

"_Mr. Beilschmidt?" _

Who... "Ja?"

_"Hello sir. I'm calling in accordance to your number being listed under insurance holder number 06359's emergency contact person." _

Gilbert was so glad Antonio'd taken his beer away from him.

"What happened?"

"_I'm so sorry sir." _

He'd have probably dropped it then if he hadn't.

* * *

**AN: Prumano baby. To be continued?**


	2. Chapter 2

_"Ich brauchen jetzt seine Zimmernummer und ich meine jetzt."_ Gilbert remained stoney-faced and hard eyed as he demanded so little of the receptionist. He just needed the room number, just a simple three digit number. Three digit because there was no way a _Vargas _would be in a non-private room if any of them can help it and three digit because the phone call said that his Italian had been in an accident but thankfully it wasn't fatal so he would be recovering now.

What better way to get better than to have your boyfriend by your side, right? Of course you'd have to forget the fight they just had (a semi-big one mind) and just think of how fast (crazy fast) Gilbert had run out of their house just before he realized that _yes he had a car _and that _yes they can drive it to the hospital and get there ten times faster that way. _Antonio had to threaten scratching his Porsche Macan for him to see his senses because… Mein Gott Lovi.

"_Dies ist das letzte Mal." _Gilbert growled his patience wearing thin. He raised a fist, one that he had been previously smacking on the counter top and prepared to… ask… yes, ask, for Lovino's room number again when a hand on the back of his head made him gasp in surprise.

_"Ő nem beszél németül idióta." _Gilbert scoffed underneath his breath but he still managed a small smile. Even in scrubs the woman managed to make herself look so damn fierce. Her light brown hair was tied up in a very messy bun (probably going against staff code in the hospital) and her green eyes were narrowed at him but he saw the familiar shine of worry in them. Worry for him… she must already know and also found out that he was in the hospital and most probably ditched whatever job she had at the moment.

"Erzsé." Gilbert pulled Elizabeth into his arms and buried his face into her hair. She smelled like antiseptic alcohol and sausage. Mein Gott he'd missed her.

"How you holding up?" Elizabeta whispered, her grip on him tightening. She let her best friend hold onto her for a moment, not caring if the chatty nurses brewed up whatever crap about her. When had she ever?

"They won't give me his room number." Prussia choked out bitterly. "I wanna see him. Did you see him? How is he? Is it bad? You know he gets cranky when he can't move about? What did he hit? Is he _okay_?"

"Ő jól van, Gilbert, he's fine." Elizabeta assured him, rubbing his back in comfort. She glanced over Gilbert's shoulder, or tried too because the man was so tall (damn his legs) and saw that Francis had taken over asking the nurse and no doubt calming her down after being bombarded by a worried Spaniard (Antonio had asked first) and a frantic Prussian. Mentor and boyfriend of the patient-whose-room-number-was-in-question respectively. "I saw him when the paramedics brought him in. It was a car accident near Feliciano's place, some drunk asshole nearly run him off the road but he only hit his head a little bit-."

_"He hit his head?!"_ Gilbert yelled then yelped when Elizabeta stomped on his foot and tightened her arms around him. He would sulk about that later but for now he lowered his voice and respected that this was Erzsé's work place. Again he asked, "He hit his head?!"

"Yes, and considering the state of his car he's lucky that's all that happened." Elizabeta murmured and noticed Francis waving his hand at her, Antonio by his side looking ready to start running. She pulled back away from Gilbert and glared at him with a warning in her eyes. "No more shouting and no running in the halls. Francis probably knows but he's in room three sixteen."

"_Danke!"_ Gilbert kissed Elizabeta's hair and hugged her one last time before he moved in a fast walk remembering her words on running and grabbed Francis and Antonio to the elevators.

Elizabeta watched that happen and sighed softly to herself. She waved at them when they faced her once inside the elevator before the doors closed on her and she turned back to the counter. Her coworker eyed her with a raised brow.

"How do you know them?"

Elizabeta smirked. "Good friends of mine."

"And Sir Vargas?"

"The German one?" Elizabeta caught herself. "I mean, the Prussian one? With the white hair and the red eyes?"

"Yeah?"

"That's his boyfriend."

Her fellow nurse stared dumbfounded for a second before she slumped in her chair. "_Leche_! _Bakit ba lahat ng pogi may boyfriend?_ Where is the justice?!"

Elizabeta sighed as well and settled down in her own chair. "The upside to all of this Melchora is that they make for good yaoi."

Melchora rolled her eyes before she realized something. "You're married."

"Yeah so?"

"_Leche."_

* * *

Antonio willed the elevator to move faster. He would later admit that he hadn't done a very good job of conversing with the nurse but he was so agitated. Gilbert had gotten a phone call from the hospital at three a.m. of all times and his heart just fell out of his chest. Their circle of friends was incredibly diverse and it was such a small world that their friends new the other's friends. Yes.

The circle began with him, Gilbert, and Francis. From him came Lovino, from Gilbert came Ludwig, and from Francis came a sweet darling named… uh… what was his name… M… M something. Well there was him. Then from Lovino stemmed Feliciano, and from Ludwig came Kiku the two meeting each other in engineering courses, from… Marshal! That was his name… maybe… well from him came Alfred, his brother. Then from those three came even more people like Arthur who he didn't like too much but oh well, Francis' lover was to be respected. With bros came the hoes (not like he'd ever call Lovi or Arturo hoes) and he respected them since his friends respected his own beau. From there though the connections grew more complicated, as people knew people and people were getting together with people and people just randomly came into their lives and just plain _stuck_.

It was weird, but a good weird. Antonio liked it.

Which was why he wasn't surprised to see that the hall where Lovino's room was located was already crowded with nearly every nationality in the world (mostly Europe but it was really close). They were all pacing with pensive looks on their faces, a solemn silence in the air. They said nothing as Gilbert rushed through them and into the room that bore the numbers three, one, and six only to be ushered out by a nurse who was obviously not letting him in. Gilbert wouldn't let her leave without an argument and he followed her all the way back to where Elizabeta was to secure whatever slip it was she said he needed.

Arthur broke the silence the Prussian had left in his wake as he stormed up to Francis, eyebrows pulled together and scowling. "Where in _bloody hell_ have you been?"

Francis wasn't so surprised his lover was here but he was shocked that everybody else got their faster. "_Je suis désolé, nous avons pris un certain temps."_

"Explain." Arthur demanded. "Now."

"We had Gilbert with us." Francis readily answered. "It was bound to take a while to get him to calm down."

Arthur turned his head away from them, sniffing indignantly. "You could have at least called someone and said you were on your way. We've been bloody worried."

"Aww Touffu." Francis beamed and pulled the Englishman into his arms. The Brit didn't protest as much as everyone half expected him too but let it go. "I'm sorry for making you worry. We're all right."

"I can see that." Arthur murmured. He let out a breath of air. "So is the brat but only Feliciano's been allowed in to see him. Poor lad's been in such a fit since his video call with his brother broke off with tires screeching and his brother's voice screaming in the background."

"Has his family come by though? I mean aside from Feliciano?" Antonio asked, chewing nervously on his bottom lip. What he had heard had done nothing calm him and he was sort of sure he already knew the answer to what he had just asked but he was also hoping that he was mistaken.

"No one's come." Mathew (that's his name!) whispered. He was sitting on a bench chair and beside him was Alfred who had a dozing Kiku in his lap. The Canadian looked pretty cheerless about what he had just said but sadly someone had to say it.

Antonio, on a normal day, would have cooed at how adorable the two were as well as thank the sweet blonde for answering him (as often people ignored him too) but right now he was worried or maybe relieved… with a touch of disappointed. No one had come again. Their family had enough time to invite nearly everyone to get together every Friday and yet no one came when Lovino's reported to be in the hospital.

"We got a call though." Alfred spoke up, voice low which only ever happened when Kiku was in the room. He glanced up at them from where he was combing his fingers through his boyfriend's hair. "Said they knew Lovi was in the hospital, Feliciano called them and they hoped Lovino realized that he kept Luciano and Feli up."

Antonio cursed and turned on his heel, intent on finding a phone with unlimited calling services and trying to remember what the damn Vargas family hotline was. Again his wake left them all in silence until…

"_Twats_."

"Hush Touffu."

"I agree though. You'd think they'd be more worried. I mean, he's in the hospital and all. I'd be worried…" Mathew frowned, shuffling what seemed to be a basket on his lap. He blinked as if he realized that it had been there this whole time. "Oh, this is from Yao. You guys just missed him because Jia Long was fussing and Mei couldn't handle it because she has exams."

"Ah." Francis nodded. "Merci Mathieu. You look tired."

"Un peu." Mathew confessed. He slumped in his chair. "I was looking after Mikhail when I got the call, Ivan has him now though."

"You can go home Mathew, we'll keep you guys informed." Arthur assured the Canadian who seemed unsure for a moment before nodding.

"Mikhail freaks out when he wakes up and I'm not there."

"He's just like you." Francis chuckled and ran his fingers through Mathew's hair. "I remembered when your mother got me as your baby sitter. You were such a darling baby."

"Still can't believe that someone would hire a ten year old to baby sit a five year old." Arthur scoffed.

"I had credentials. It's a big coincidence that I was Mathew's baby sitter and you were Alfred's non? In a way I guess since Emily did leave Alfred at your house and not specifically in your care still… talk about fate." Francis returned, kissing Arthur's messy blonde hair then turning to Mathew. "Did you bring your car with you?"

"Oui." Mathew nodded and got up. He carefully shook his brother's shoulder, and Alfred snapped awake from his slight doze and nearly pushed Kiku off of his lap. Thankfully the Japanese man did not stir. "Sorry, I'm leaving."

"You take care bro." Alfred murmured, sleep making his voice heavy. "Get a cup of coffee or something. Don't need another car crash this soon."

"I'm not sleepy." Mathew insisted. "And I'll be fine. I'll text you when I'm home."

"Okay." Alfred breathed deeply and nodded towards his brother seeing as his hands were full of pure Japanese man. "Love you bro."

"Love you too." Mathew threw back just as easily.

Francis beamed and wrapped an arm around Mathew's shoulders and steered him away. "I'll walk you to the parking then."

"Take care." Arthur called after them as they left. Mathew looked over his shoulder and waved at him and he sighed. He then turned to Alfred. "Don't you have work today?"

"That's the funny thing about being the boss." Alfred chuckled lowly. "You can skip work whenever you want to."

"I sure hope you don't do it often." Arthur frowned and settled on Mathew's previous seat. He rested his head against the wall.

"I don't." Alfred promised. "Kiku makes sure I don't, at least."

"I'm so glad you found him." Arthur smiled. "Granted at first I thought you'd be bad for him but in the end he was good for you."

"We all meet that special someone." Alfred murmured.

"Indeed."

* * *

Ludwig was incredibly shocked when the door to the room opened and was glad the nurse with him was quick on her feet. She'd ushered Gilbert out of the room and back into the hallway. He had asked the previous visitors to kindly take turns so as to not overwhelm his patient because yes even someone who had just been in an non-fatal car crash could still be traumatized. Seeing as he taught Psychology he would know and Lovino's doctor had asked the same thing before he'd gone and fetched a second copy of his patient's lab scans.

Of course, a key helper in keeping patients calm was family, which Ludwig had stressed on. It explained why Alaric was sitting on Lovino's lap, dozing but perfectly comfortable in his Zio Lovi's arms. Feliciano was also being a very good medium at the moment but Ludwig was being careful as they weren't so sure just how much Lovino could take.

He had reacted to Alaric well enough that he was several parts shocked, horrified, and angry but had the presence of mind to remember that there was a child in front of him and so it would not do for him to swear. It was a good sign. Lovino was still Lovino just… less of the Lovino they'd known for the past three years. Regarding the memories at least.

Ludwig wasn't so sure he wanted to be there when his brother showed up. Just… it would be too hard for all of them. Alaric hadn't liked not being recognized by his Zio Lovi. Ludwig was sure Gilbert would also not appreciate not being recognized by his Vyes.

Gott. If his bruder came in here... he couldn't even begin to imagine how many circles of hell would rise to earth.

"Ve~ Ludwig..." Feliciano sidled up to him and curled his arms around one of Ludwig's own. He nuzzled his face into the captive arm and let out a breath. "Luddy... can you give fratello and I a minute?"

Ludwig hesitated. "I don't think that's a good idea Feli..."

"We'll be fine." Feliciano's eyes lowered. "Per piacere Ludwig."

The German couldn't say no to that. Heck... who was he kidding, he could never say no to Feliciano. With a heavy sigh he wrapped his arms around Feliciano who melted in his embrace. After years of being together he could finally hug his Italian like a normal human being and not a robot learning to feel.

"I'll be with Gilbert outside." Ludwig promised and stepped out. Once he entered the hallway he was surprised to find that the only person still present was Elizabeta and his brother. Gilbert was sitting on the floor, resting his side against Elizabeta's leg, eyes blankly staring at the wall across from him. Elizabeta had a hand in Gilbert's white hair, loosely threaded to the soft locks. A gentle reminder; she was here for him.

Ludwig cleared his throat to gain their attention and when they looked up at him he raised a brow. "Where's everybody else?"

"I sent them home." Elizabeta answered. "They can't do anything here plus they've been falling all over themselves and it doesn't help that they all have jobs in six or so hours today. They need sleep."

"And so do you." Ludwig eyed his fellow hospital staff warily. "When did your shift end?"

"An hour ago." Elizabeta sagged in her seat. "I'm good here though. Don't wanna be anywhere else."

"And Roderich?" Ludwig pressed. He didn't miss the way Elizabeta's lips thinned. "Elizabeta you need rest too. Go home. I've got Gilbert."

"No." Elizabeta glared.

Gilbert seemed to zone into the conversation and he shook his head. "Erzé... Erzé he's right. Go home. This isn't awesome."

"Shut up." Elizabeta snapped.

"No. You need to take care of yourself." Gilbert pulled his head away from Elizabeta's reach and he looked over his shoulder to stare at her or more accurately... her stomach. "I know you know."

Elizabeta gasped. "You... bastard."

"Awesome _godfather_ bastard." Gilbert grinned weakly. "Now go home Erzé, please. For Roddy's sake."

"Fine." Elizabeta huffed but turned to face Ludwig. "Not before you tell Gilbert what's wrong with Lovino though."

Gilbert's breath caught. "Wait a minute... you were in there with him... and you didn't tell me how he was doing? What the fuck West!"

"I wasn't allowed to Gilbert! You know that." Ludwig protested, not at all surprised when his brother got to his feet and nearly slammed him into the nearest wall. Not even a second after that Gilbert deflated against him, weak and numb.

"Just... he's okay." Gilbert whispered. "Just tell me he's okay and I'll... I'll be okay."

Ludwig chose his words carefully. "He's... okay..."

Gilbert held his breath knowing his brother well.

"He just doesn't... remember you."

* * *

Feliciano stared hard at the figure on the bed. It was almost like staring into a mirror only there were things that were different. The hair was longer, darker but seemed like it had highlights everywhere as if the sun couldn't help itself but bury its rays into the soft locks. The skin darker, used to the outdoors. The eyes a different shade of brown, like chocolate.

But the most noticeable difference was the shin they had now.

The figure on the bed had glassy eyes staring at the small bundle on his lap. Feliciano was out for blood, his own eyes glaring heavily with disbelief and dare he say it... disappointment.

"I don't believe you."

The figure on the bed hunched over itself.

"Fratello... he _loves _you."

Feliciano took long strides forward.

"He loves you and he's been willing to make an honest man out of you for years. You deny him, you deny him and you won't tell him why!"

Lovino said nothing and Feliciano would have cursed if his son wasn't in the room.

"Sei così egoista." Feliciano spat.

Lovino's head snapped upward and he glared straight at his brother. "That's rich coming from you. Just once can't I do something for myself?!"

"Twelve times!" Feliciano deadpanned. "He has proposed to you for twelve freaking times and you've said no again, and again, and again and you still have the balls to tell me you've done nothing for yourself?!"

"Shut up Feliciano and when the fuck did you start talking to me like that?" Lovino glared.

Feliciano was having none of it. "Oh no you're not getting away from me by cursing and thinking I'll let it go just that! It'd be all right if it was just your life you're wasting but no- this is someone else's life! Someone who loves you very much!"

"And I love him just as much, hell, maybe even more!" Lovino yelled.

Feliciano winced and hoped Ludwig wasn't anywhere near the door or that Alaric would wake up. His brother had some major explaining to do. "Spiegare."

"He deserves better Feli." Lovino snapped. "He deserves someone who'll love him or at least show him just as much as he shows me. I can't keep up with him. I can't be as open as him. It's hard. God fuck it's hard but I try and I try but I can't do it just like I couldn't do it with you and I couldn't do it with Antonio. I ruined those relationships and I am gonna fucking do all I can to not ruin what Gilbert and I have!"

Feliciano stared hard. "What? Seriously? Fratello... don't you think by lying to him you're already ruining what you two have? You don't lie to people you love! Haven't you learned?"

"Oh fuck you!" Lovino growled. "Just- Just fuck you Feliciano and leave me alone! I'm old enough to make my own decisions."

"And aren't you making some very mature ones right now ve?" Feliciano glared, a little of his ire on the fact that his verbal tic made an appearance of all times. "Faking your amnesia and getting the doctors in on it too! I thought you didn't want to be like Nonno?"

"Shut up. Just... fuck it, get out of my room Feliciano I don't wanna see you." Lovino glared out the window his room had.

Feliciano gaped and fumed but took deep breaths to calm himself. Stiffly, he walked up to the door to leave his brother to his thoughts and that would hopefully make him see sense. "I'm getting Ludwig then we'll come back for Alaric. Be sure that when we come back, Gilbert will be with us. I hope you've brushed up on your acting skills fratello and I hope you know how much I love you since I won't tell ve."

Lovino didn't look up when Feliciano left the room. Instead he stared harder out the window and pretended that he wasn't crying. Because he wasn't! His eyes were just... sweating. Fuck.

_I'm doing what's right. _

* * *

**Lovino's logic is twisted... but that's the way he feels. **

**Anyways it's been a while. Hope you guys are still looking forward to this story. **


End file.
